Defending Europe — Season 1
Resistance through the ages
About this season
Exploring defensive strategies, weapons and structures used across Europe over 2,000 years, shedding light on forgotten histories that shaped modern borders.
Episodes (6)
1. Finland
Aired 16 September 2024 • 60 min
Maritime archaeologist Andy Torbet investigates an ancient sea fortress that was crucial to Finland and military historian Alex Churchill investigates a stolen Soviet tank and the Molotov Cocktail.
2. Britain
1.0Aired 16 September 2024 • 60 min
How Britain has defended its coastline for nearly a thousand years since the Norman invasion – seeing off threats from Napoleon to Hitler.
3. Poland
1.0Aired 16 September 2024 • 60 min
The story of how Poland, one of the most invaded countries in Europe, has survived against all the odds.
4. The Netherlands
1.0Aired 16 September 2024 • 60 min
The story of how the Netherlands, locked in a constant battle with water, has harnessed this threat to become a powerful European player.
5. France
1.0Aired 16 September 2024 • 60 min
Discovering how France constructed ingenious fortifications, on a massive scale, to defend itself against attacks from the east.
6. Spain
1.0Aired 16 September 2024 • 60 min
The impressive fortifications and defensive strategies used during Spain’s dramatic history of conflict, from the Middle Ages to the Civil War.